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HYDRAULIC BRICK MACHINE. lila-565,113. Patentedv Aug. 4, 1896. E191? www(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Skeet 2.

W. N. GRAVES. HYDRAULIC BRICK MACHINE.

No. 565,113. Patented AugA', 1896.

E'gl yllf i Eig j@ UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VIL'LIS N. GRAVES, OF ST. LOUIS, M ISSOUR, ASSIGNOR TO THE HYDRAULICFRESSBRIOK COMPANY, OF SAME PLAGE.

HYDRAULIC BRICK-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,1 13, dated August4, 1896.

Application led January 13, 1896. 'Serial No. 575,347. (No model.)

To (MZ whom t v71mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS N. GRAVES, of the city of St. Louis, State ofMissouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inHydraulic Brick-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact dej scription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this speciiication.

ln making bricks of different kinds of clay, considerable differenceexists in the speed with whichthe bricks can be ejected from the moldafter the pressing is completed, without danger of their bursting, owingto air, under high pressure, being Vconfined within the clay of thebricks. W'ith some clays the bricks can be quickly ejected from the moldwithout danger of their being injured by the escapeot` the confined air,the clay being suiiiciently porous to permit a free escape of the air.lf the bricks were ejected withthis speed when made of other clays, theywould burst under the confined-air pressure before the air could escapethrough the pores, and the speed with which the bricks can be ejectedvaries with different kinds of clay. Some clays require but aslightlyslower movement in the ejection of the bricks than the claysthat permit of the bricks being ejected as quickly as possible, whileother clays require the bricks to be ejected considerably slower toavoid danger of bursting. It has been the practice, to avoid thisbursting, to slow down the machinery as a whole, so that the bricks willnot be ejected too rapidly. This is expensive, as it materially lessensthe daily capacity of the press.

The object of my invention is to providel means for regulating, at will,the speed with which the bricks are ejected, while at the same time theremainder of the apparatus is allowed to run at full speed, and therebythe full capacity ofthe press maintained. This I do bythe mechanismshown in the drawings, in which- Figure I is anelevation, part insection, of a brick-press providedjwith my'improvement, the part that isshown in section being taken on f line I l, Fig. Ill. Fig. II is adetail vertical section taken on line Il Il, Fig. I. Fig. III is a topview ofthe valve-chest. Fig. IVis an elevation showing my improvementapplied to what is known as a pony press. Fig. V is part in section andpart inelevation, showing the part to which my improvement relates andthe Vlow-pressure valve of the lower-ram cylinder. Fig. Vl is anenlarged vertical section oi the valve which admits water to thecylinder that operates upon said valve that admits low-pressure water tothe lower-ram cylinder.

' Figs. I to Ill of the drawings show my improvement applied to thegeneral class of hydraulic brick-machines shown and described in myPatent No. 326,288, issued September 15, 1885, and l have designated theparts in this Aapplication by the same reference-letters used todesignate them in said patent, T12 representing the valve T12 of saidpatent, N N representing the pipes N N of said patent, Nv representingthe rock-shaft N' ot said patent, and l5 representing the valve chest orbox l5 of said patent, this chest or box being provided with the samevalves as in the said patent. Y

'The valve T12 is at the proper time completely closed and held closedby the same mechanism as illustrated and described in the patentreferred to, and I have applied the same reference-letters to theseparts, so far as they are shown, as are used in the said patent, withoutfurther (llescribing the varilous parts here, reference being made tosaid patent for a description of these parts.

My present invention relates to a mechanism or partially closing thevalve T12 in advance of the movement of the mechanism consisting of thelever T and its coacting parts of said patent, so that the valve T12 ispartially closed tocause a reduced flow of low water-pressure to causethe bricks to be ejected from the mold more slowly than they would beejected if this valve remained fully open untilclosed by the lever T,which action takes place when the bricks have been entirely ejected.This mechanism'for partially closing the valve T12 consists of acylinder l, connected at its upper end bya pipe 2 to one of the'pipes N.Within the cylinder l is a piston 3, having a rod 4 extending through across-head 5, supported by rods 6, which also support the cylinder 1.Beneath the--piston'is'a coiled spring 7, which acts to raise the pistonwhen the water-pressure in the pipe 2 and the upper part of the cylin-nder 1 is removed. On the lower end of the rod 4 is an open head 3, thatreceives the up-A per end of the stem T11 of the valve T12. The stem T14has a collar 10 beneath the head 8. The end of the lever T fits in theopening in the head S, as shown in Fig. II, and is adapted to bear uponthe upper end of the stem T11.

Vhen thevalve that admits water to the pipe N is opened, (which is thetime that low waterpressure is admitted to raise the lower ram and ejectthe bricks,) water passes through the pipe 2 into the cylinder 1 abovethe piston 3, causing the piston to descend, and moving the valve T12toward a closed position, the valve being moved by the head S, comingagainst the collar 10. The valve is not entirely closed by the piston 3,but is only closed sufficiently far to allow the passage of an amount ofwater through the valve T12 that will cause the lower plunger to moveupwardly at the desired rate of speed to eject the bricks as quickly asit can be done without danger of their exploding or bursting. The amountof movement of the valve T12 must be regulated to suit the kind of claybeing handled, for, as stated, some clays require a slower ejection ofthe bricks than others. This regulation of the movement of the valve T12by the piston 3 is effected by a nut and jam-nut 11 on the rod 4 abovethe cross-head 5, these nuts being adjusted up or down according to theamount of movement it is desired that the piston 3 shall produce on thevalve T12. This forms a very effective and simple means for regulatingthe movement of the valve T12 by the piston When the bricks are ejected,the lever T and its mechanism operates as described in said patent, andthe valve T12 is forced shut by the lever bearing on the upper end ofthe stem T11, the lever forcing the collar 10 away from the head 8, asshown in Fig. II.

In Figs. IV to VI, I have shown myinvention applied to a different formof mechanism for iinally closing and holding closed the valve T12. InFig. V there are shown the same parts as are illustrated in Fig. II. Themechanism for closing and holding closed the valve T12 in thismodification consists of a crank S6 on a shaft 85, the crank beingconnected by a rod 87 to one end of a lever 88, pivoted to the housingof the valve T12. The rod 87 is provided with a suitable spring-cushion92. Vhen the shaft is rocked, the toggle formed by the crank 86 and rodS7 act to depress the inner end of the lever 88, which, as shown in Fig.V, engages the stem of the valve T12, and the valve is thus forced toand held in its closed position. When the shaft 85 is rocked in theother direction, the valve is released. (J7 represents a pipe forming acommunica tion between the low-pressure cylinder of the machine and themain valve-chest.

12 represents a pipe forming a communication between the pipe (37 andthe cylinder 1, and water passing through this pipe 12 acts upon thevalve T12 through the medium of the piston 3, asalready described withreference to Fig. II. In this form of press the waterpressure is removedfrom pipe 67 before the lower'plun ger has ejected the bricks from themold, so that it becomes necessary to entrap the water in cylinder 1 tohold the valve T12 in the position to which it has been moved by thepiston 3, and this is accomplished by means of a valve 13, located inpipe 12. (See Figs. IV and VI.) This valve is normally held to its seatby a spring 14, but when water-pressure is admitted to pipe 12 the valve13 opens and allows the passage of the water to the cylinder 1. As soon,however, as the Water-pressure is removed in pipe 67 the spring 14ccloses the valve 13 and the waterpressure is held in cylinder 1. Torelease the water-pressure in cylinder 1 after thebricks have beenejected, I employ a crank or arm 165. This arm is moved by the charger,and as the charger advances a projection thereon comes against the stem15 of the valve 13 and opens the valve, releasing the water-pressure incylinder 1 and permitting the water to be forced from the cylinder l bymeans of the spring '7, which raises the piston I claim as myinvention- 1. In a hydraulic brickemachine the combination of upper andlower rams, a valve for admitting water to raise the lower ram to ejectthe bricks, and means for partially closing said valve to diminish thespeed of the lower ram in ejecting the bricks, and mechanism for fullyclosingsaid valve after the bricks have been ejected, substantially asset forth.

2. In a hydraulic brick-machine the combination of upper and lower rams,a valve for admitting water to raise the lower ram to eject the bricks,and adjustable means for partially closing said valve to diminish thespeed of the lower ram in ej ectin g the bricks, whereby the valve maybe moved a greater or lesser distance, and mechanism for fully closingsaid valve after the bricks have been ejected, substantially as setforth.

3. In a hydraulic brickmachine the combination of upper and lower rams,a valve for admitting water to raise the lower ram to eject the bricks,and means for partiallyelosing said valve to diminish the speed of thelower ram in eject-ing the bricks, and mechanism for fully closing saidvalve after the bricks have been ejected; said means consistingessentially of a cylinder, a water-pipe communicating with the cylinder,a piston located in the cylinder, a spring beneath the piston, aroddepending from said piston and adapted to bear against the stem of saidvalve, a crosshead through which said rod passes, and a nut on said rodadapted to arrest the downward movement of said piston by coming againstsaid cross-head, substantially as set forth.

WILLIS N. GRAVES.

In presence of? GEO. H. KNIGHT, E. S. KNIGHT.

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